This family line begins on the Greek island of Khios (Chios, or Scio). Khios is 13 miles long and 15 miles across with a hilly bare mountain chain running along its spine. It used to be famous for its shipping and exports of mastic, herbs and oranges. In the early 1800s Khios is described as the most fertile, richest and most severly afflicted of the Aegean Islands, but sadly over the years Khios has been declining, and today is barely self supporting. Khios, is closer to Turkey, than Greece and has for years been under a variety of rulers, including the Turkish and the Genoese. It was finnally returned to Greek possession in 1812 following the Balkans War.

In 1829 on the island of Khios, Constantine KONSTANTINOU married a young dark haired woman called Dokkhino. They made their home on the island and had 3 boys:

Anastasio b

Constantine b

Anastasios and Constantine JR were born on the island. Constantine Snr was a fisherman, a wealthy one for those times, as he owned a whole fleet of fishing boats. In 1834 there was an outbreak of cholera on Khios so Constantine took his family to Athens. Dokkhino was due to give birth to third child when they set sail. Edward (not his real name, his chosen anglo name) was born 6 miles from Athens out at sea. The family stayed in Athens for a short time before heading back to Khios in 1835.

In late 1841 the Greeks again prepared for battle against the Turks. Constantine converted his fishing boats into war boats and went to fight the Turks. During one of these battles he was killed.

Life went on for Dokkhino who had 3 boys to raise. She took the family to Athens where Anastasios started a ship building business. Constantine, in later years, went to England where it is believed he became a banker. Edward went to see as a cabin boy on one of his uncles ships and worked with his uncle until he was 15.

On the 15^th July 1850, aged 16 Edward arrived in New York, USA, where he stayed for some years. During this time Dokkhino died in Athens. On 27^th April 1860. On the 27^th of April 1860, aged 25, Edward got naturalized in Boston and changed his surname to COSTER. It is believed he got naturalized to join the US Navy, but there is no record of any service. He did however serve on the staff of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War as an interpreter.

Edward sailed the seas for many years, picking up many languages and speaking seven fluently. Finally he arrived in Melbourne, which he made his base. There is a record of him as a member of the Glaslyn crew for seven months in 1875.

In Melbourne Edward met Mary Elizabeth BLUE. They were married on 12 January 1878, at Sandridge, Victoria. Edward was 37 and Mary 19.

Mary was the daughter of Daniel Alexander McMILLAN, from Argylshire, Scotland and Mary Elizabeth WHITING, from Bath, England. Mary had an older brother, Daniel, two younger sisters, Flora and Susan and a younger brother Charles. Mary took the surname BLUE, while the rest of the family used McMILLAN. When her father entered Australia he went under the name of BLUE, Mary obviously took a liking to it and used it instead of McMILLAN. Edward and Mary had 9 children:

Charles Alexander b1879

Nellie b1880

Edward Christie b1886

Constantine Christophular b1890

Earnest Willam b1890

George Nicholas b1893

Alexander Mitchell b1895

Florence Euphemia b1899

Charles Alexander and Nellie were born in Melbourne. In 1882 they moved to Auckland. While I can find no record, I was always led to believe that Elizabeth Agatha was born during he voyage to NZ. Edward Christie was born in Auckland. In 1889 the family moved to Port Chalmers, Otago. Otago is where they would finnaly settle. The twins Constantine Christopher and Earnest William were born in 1890 shortly after their arrival in Otago.

In 1894 Edward was a member of the crew of SS Wairarapa. He was fortunately not on board when it steamed into Great Barrier Island at full speed and sank on 29^th October 1894.

Two more sons were born, George Nicholas and Alexander Mitchell. Their home was at Koputai at Careys Bay, and Edward was always down at the docks when foreign ships were in. He would invite them home and talk to them in their own language. In 1893 the family moved into Dunedin and lived in Serpentine Avenue. Child number 9, and final, Florence Euphemia was born in 1899.

In 1914, the first world war broke out. George and Alexander joined the Army. George went to Europe. He fought in the Battle of the Somme¬ . He was wounded and left for dead on the battlefield. It was only by chance that it was noticed that he was still alive and dragged to safety. He spent a long time in hospital before being sent home in 1917. He was permanently affected by his injuries and never worked regularly. He took an early war pension. ``

Edward died in 1919, and Mary lived a full 27 years after his passing surounded by her many grandchildren. Mary passed away in 1946.

Winfred Agatha b

Earnest Joseph b

Joseph died young from cancer. Elizabeth Agatha moved to Napier with Earnest. Winifred stayed in Dunedin with her grandmother. A family portrait taken about 1914 has Winifred in it and Nana BURTON as an inset. There was a major family row over the upbringing of Winifred. Winifred was a favorite of her grandmothers. Elizabeth left without her. Elizabeth was considered a family outcast.

Elizabeth Agatha remarried Frederick Charles BURTON. They had two children:

Elsie May b1917

Earnest was brought up as Ernie BURTON. He grew up using the surname BURTON. He was a nationally ranked wrestler as a young man and all his trophies are engraved Ernie BURTON. He was the best man for William KIRK, when he married Florence BURTON. He is recorded at the wedding as Ernie BURTON, this was in 1936. He changed back to HJORRING when he married in 1937.

Florence (Florie) Elizabeth, was born 2 Aug 1913 in Napier. She was a young lawyer’s clerk in Napier the day the earthquake hit in 1931. She was injured, knocked unconscious, and probably lucky to survive. The injured were taken to the TukiTuki River at Waipukarau by horse and cart, ferried across the river by raft, and put on the train for Palmerston North Hospital. Nana BURTON did not know what happened to her. Communications were poor at the best of times in the 1930s. It was not until a few days later that a list of survivors in Palmerston North hospital was sent to Napier and Nana BURTON was advised. ­

She married William (Willie) Richard KIRK on 13 April 1936. With the exception of the first 12 months in Napier, they spent their entire married life living at 313 Southampton St East in Hastings.

Following Bills death in 1979, Grandma gave the family a couple of scares health wise, but she out-lived Bill by 15 years. She made 81 and died in the Presbyterian nursing home in Hastings on 12 January 1994.

Sir Henry Rawlinson, who planned the offensive in detail, was pessimistic about chances of a breakthrough, preferring a methodical "bite and hold" advance with an intense artillery bombardment preparing each short step forward. Also, doubting the tactical flexibility of the New Army Soldiers, he allowed a rigid battle plan to be imposed on the corps concerned, including the fateful decision that the infantry should advance in long and orderly lines.

A week-long artillery bombardment failed either to destroy the German wire in many places or to harm the defenders in their deep dug-outs on the escarpment. The offensive, launched in bright sunlight at 7.30 on the morning of July 1, failed disastrously on most sectors of the eighteen-mile front. Even the explosion of several huge mines under the German front line did not prevent their machine-gunners emerging to create havoc among the waves of British infantry, who were walking forward as though on an exercise. There was, however, a limited success at the southern end of the line where more imaginative infantry and artillery tactics enabled 18th and 30th Divisions to take all their objectives, as did the five French Divisions straddling the Somme. In the Centre, too, the 36th (Ulster) Division performed heroically to seize the Schwaben Redoubt on Thiepval Ridge, but the survivors were forced to retreat later in the day due to lack of support on their flanks. In the northern half of the attack sector from Beaumont Hamel to Serre and Gommecourt virtually no progress was made. Many battalions were virtually annihilated. The casualties in this tragic offensive totalled 57,470, the biggest ever suffered by the British army in a single day.

Statistical Data:

Time - 46 minutes and 46.3 seconds after 10.00 am on Tuesday February 3, 1931.

Magnitude - 7.9 on the Richter Scale (10-11 on the Modified Mercalli Scale) of felt intensity in the Napier/ Hastings area.

Epicentre - 5-20 kms North of Napier.

Focus - Shallow, at approximately 16 kilometres.

Duration - 2.5 minutes, with a 30 second lull in the middle.

Aftershocks - Approximately 150 in the 12 hours post earthquake. 525 in the 14 days post earthquake.

Deaths – Napier 162, Hastings 93, Wairoa 3 (258).

1931 Population – Napier 16,025, Hastings 10,850,

Taradale / Havelock North 3125 (30,000).

Fires: They began in chemists' shops where gas jets were in close proximity to flammable liquids. One hour after the earthquake, the fires were spreading rapidly. Fires also broke at Ahuriri. In Napier, the water supply was lost and there was little that firemen could do. In Hastings, the water supply remained intact so the fires were contained.

The Navy: HMS Veronica was moored at West Quay. HMS Dunedin and HMS Diomede left Auckland with medical supplies and personnel at 3.00pm that day and arrived in Napier at 8.30am on Wednesday.

Accommodation: People, afraid to enter their homes, camped in their gardens, on road-sides, at Nelson Park and on the Marine Parade Beach.

Administration: The Napier Borough Council relinquished control under the Municipal Corporations Act 1920, and the Government appointed two Commissioners to oversee and manage the town and its reconstruction, with the Napier Reconstruction Committee. They were John Saxon Barton, a solicitor and Lachlan Bain Campbell, an engineer.

Reconstruction Finance: An Earthquake Relief Fund was opened by the Prime Minister and eventually reached $800,000. A Government Grant of $20,000 built Tin Town. $3,000,000 was given by the Government in the form of loans.

The Inner Harbour: The Napier area tilted upwards, a maximum of 7 feet (just over 2 meters), and 2230 hectares were raised to sea level. Since then, apparently, the area has continued to creep up at the rate of 1cm per year, so that it is now 60cms (or two feet) above sea level.

Celebrations: The Hastings Carnival to celebrate the rebuilding was held in November 1932. The New Napier Carnival was held in January 1933, by which time most of the main reconstruction was completed or nearly so.